The group reportedly bulldozed the ancient city of Numrud in Iraq
in March, destroying an archeological site dating back more than
3,000 years.

ISIS claimed the monuments were idolatrous, because they were
once worshipped instead of Allah.

In response to the demolition, UNESCO Director General Irina
Bokova said the “deliberate destruction of cultural heritage
constitutes a war crime.”

Syria became a focal point for archaeological preservation this
month when ISIS began marching on the ancient city of Palmyra, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A group of Syrian archeologists, academics and locals rushed to
hide museum pieces in the days before the city fell to ISIS on
May 21.

Dubbed Syria’s “Monuments Men” in reference to the
soldiers and academics who saved European art from the Nazis
during the Second World War, the volunteers reportedly risked
their lives to catalogue and bury precious artifacts.

“The question of whether we should help with the conservation
and preservation of another country's heritage is serious,”
MacGregor said.

“There is a significant international agreement, the Hague
Convention about the protection of cultural property in war
zones. Only one country in the Security Council hasn't ratified
it, the UK.”

A spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said
the UK government would seek to legislate on the convention
“as soon as parliamentary time allows.”

The British Museum has faced criticism in recent years for its
refusal to return a collection of stone objects to Greece known
as the Elgin Marbles.

The assortment of sculptures, inscriptions and architectural
features were acquired by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century.

Elgin claimed to have permission from the Ottoman Empire, which
ruled Greece at that time.

The Greek government wants to return the marbles to their
original historical environment.

However the British Museum has rejected Greece’s appeals,
claiming that if the Elgin Marbles were returned it would open
the door to similar applications from other countries.